Amidst the Chinese 18th Communist Party congress, the State Intellectual Property Office head Tian Lipu claims that there is deliberate distortion of the piracy issue in China by the Western media, caused by the country's bad reputation overseas. Despite the claimed mischaracterization he defended the practice, claiming that "Speaking honestly, there is a market. People use and buy pirated goods."<br><br>"China's image overseas is very poor. As soon as people hear China they think or piracy and counterfeiting -- Sanlitun, that place in Shanghai, Luohu in Shenzhen. We don't deny, and we are continuing to battle against it," Tian declared.

Tian said that manufacturers like Apple aren't concerned by the issue, and if they were, they wouldn't choose China for manufacture of devices like the iPhone and iPad. "Of the goods made for Apple, most are made in China. Once Apple's brand is added to it and it is exported to the United States its value doubles," he said. "This could only happen because China's intellectual property rights environment sets foreign investors at ease allowing them to come to China to manufacture."

US businesses are wary of Chinese efforts to inhibit piracy. Microsoft and other members of the Business Software Alliance claim that nearly 80 percent of the software installed in China is pirated. The International Intellectual Property Alliance, a group of film, software, and music publishers believe that US businesses lose more than $14 billion a year to software piracy, assuming that an illicitly installed software package equals a lost sale.

Tian doesn't believe the estimated numbers. He says that "China is the world's largest payer for patent rights, for trademark rights, for royalties, and one of the largest for buying real software. We pay the most. People rarely talk about this, but it really is a fact. Our government offices, our banks, our insurance companies, our firms ... the software is all real."

msuper69

Nov 11, 2012 10:17 AM

"Speaking honestly, there is a market. People use and buy pirated goods."

Just because there is a market for stolen goods doesn't make it right.
It's still theft and the powers-that-be should make an honest effort to put a stop to it.
Of course, when the powers-that-be are communists, that whole moral thing is moot.

Caowu

Nov 11, 2012 10:40 AM

Biggest copy-theft crime in history was Megaupload - a front run by Western intelligence for spying and to deprive terrorists of revenue.

So shut up about China.

Zanziboy

Nov 11, 2012 11:25 AM

Quote, Originally Posted by Caowu
(Post 4201275)

Biggest copy-theft crime in history was Megaupload - a front run by Western intelligence for spying and to deprive terrorists of revenue.
So shut up about China.

Megaupload was anything but a front run by Western intelligence. Wow! What a distortion! Where do people get these conspiracy theories? :lol:

Caowu

Nov 11, 2012 12:06 PM

"Kim Dotcom" is an agent. That's a fact, not a conspiracy.

The hypocrisy of American business and government is revolting. They should stay the hell out of Asia and everyplace else.

pairof9s

Nov 11, 2012 12:26 PM

Quote, Originally Posted by Caowu
(Post 4201281)

"Kim Dotcom" is an agent. That's a fact, not a conspiracy.
The hypocrisy of American business and government is revolting. They should stay the hell out of Asia and everyplace else.

People still do business with China because (a) China is an enormous potential market and (b) they figure that they are still ahead, in spite of rampant IP theft, because of cheap but skilled Chinese labour and lax labour laws. Apple snaps their fingers, and Foxconn scurries to find the engineers, technicians and labour to build any product. That's simply not feasible in a country with even moderately strict labour laws like the US.

C

Spheric Harlot

Nov 11, 2012 03:03 PM

Quote, Originally Posted by Caowu
(Post 4201275)

Biggest copy-theft crime in history was Megaupload - a front run by Western intelligence for spying and to deprive terrorists of revenue.

So shut up about China.

This is among the more amusing and bizarre fantasy theories I've read.

Paul Huang

Nov 11, 2012 10:10 PM

Sure, there is a need for ∞ speed rating, because everyone is doing it. Does that make it legal?

Apparently denial is a river in China.

Shaddim

Nov 12, 2012 03:16 AM

Quote, Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
(Post 4201300)

This is among the more amusing and bizarre fantasy theories I've read.

True that, the reality distortion field is extreme around that one.

coffeetime

Nov 12, 2012 05:07 AM

In one hand, he said "deliberate distortion by Western media". On the other, he said "there is a market". His speech does not improve the image of China at all. Actually he confirms the issue is true to the Western media. Not a well planned speech.

donmontalvo

Nov 12, 2012 10:07 AM

Show some ingenuity and the world will stop looking at China as the world's copy-cat/pirate.